How Would You Pray That God Be With You Like Jabez Prayed (I Chronicles 4:10)?

"I would pray that God's hand be with me when I am hunting or fishing, or maybe when my sister is driving," says Jacob, 10.

A sister with a heavy foot can do wonders for a guy's prayer life. Shelby, 6, has a similar prayer: "When I'm driving with Mommy, please keep me safe."

All drivers with child passengers should remember that their precious cargo could be praying that they'll slow down. Give your guardian angels a little rest.

"I would want God to be with me when I go upstairs all by myself," says Brandon, 6.

You never know what's lurking in closets, under beds and behind curtains. God's presence can protect you from the biggest, baddest monsters you've ever imagined. No monster would dare show his green, slimy face when God is with you.

Brandon, when you get older, the monsters don't disappear. They just change shapes. The monster called Fear has an insatiable appetite. He has a monster cousin called Worry. They're always looking for lives to destroy.

The Apostle Peter wrote that we should cast all our cares on the Lord because he cares for us. He warned that we should be alert because our adversary, the devil, is like a roaring lion seeking to devour our lives (I Peter 5:7-10). We can resist fear and worry by looking to the Lord for our strength instead of our abilities, things or people.

In the 1924 Paris Olympics, a Scot stood on the platform to receive a gold medal in the 400-meter race. The strange thing was that he didn't train for the 400 meters and hadn't planned to run in it. The preliminary heats for his race, the 100 meters, were on Sunday. He withdrew from the race because competing on Sunday violated his convictions. Instead, he ran and set a record in the 400 meters. He also ran in the 200-meter race and won a bronze medal.

"Chariots of Fire," which won several Academy Awards, captures the drama and excitement of this true story. It shows how Eric Liddell struggled with whether he should run at all. Liddell knew God had called him to serve as a missionary to China, but he also knew God gave him the ability to run fast. In the movie, he said he felt God's pleasure when he ran.

In real life, Liddell said: "To give up running is to hold him in contempt. To win is to honor him."

Liddell saw running as part of his missionary service, which he later completed in China. Part of knowing God's will is sensing his pleasure in the use of a special gift or talent. Sometimes God may call you to lay down a gift for greater service, but often, he will use your giftedness for his glory. The key to handling your gifts properly is to keep their source before you at all times.

A short prayer from Callie, 9, sounds as if it could have come from the mouth of Eric Liddell: "Show me your will and your power so that I may be like you."

Think about this: Every child of God who loves the Lord Jesus and experiences his presence has nothing to fear.

Memorize this truth: "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:6-7).

Ask this question: Are you enjoying God's presence and the sense that God is with you?

Carey Kinsolving is a syndicated columnist, producer, author, speaker and website developer. To see more articles like this one, visit www.KidsTalkAboutGod.org/ColumnArchive.aspx. The Kids Talk About God website contains free, online content for children and families. See Carey’s Kid TV Interviews. Print free lessons from the "Kids Color Me Bible" and make your own book. Let an 11-year-old girl take you on a trip around the world in the Mission Explorers Streaming Video. Print Scripture verses illustrated by child artists. Receive a complimentary, weekly e-mail subscription to our Devotional Bible Lessons.

Bible quotations in this Bible lesson are from the New King James Version.